News

A resolution and recommendation on the situation of local and regional democracy in Azerbaijan were debated on 17 October, at the 23rd Congress Session. The report, presented by the co-rapporteurs Jos Wienen, The Netherlands (L, EPP/CD) and Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, Austria, (R, SOC), assesses the developments in grassroots democracy in Azerbaijan since the Congress’s monitoring report of 2003. The Congress welcomed the creation of three national associations of local authorities, but regretted that they do not enjoy an active role in representing municipal interests. However, the report observed that most of the recommendations addressed in 2003 to the national authorities have not been implemented and that no timeline exists for their implementation. Furthermore, the report expressed serious concerns with regard to the non-compliance with most of the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self Government, ratified by Azerbaijan.
(More...)